1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a vehicle roof with at least one cover element which optionally closes or at least partially opens up a roof opening.
2. Related Technology
A vehicle roof of this type is known from practice and comprises a cover element which has a carrier element, which constitutes a pivoting or deployment arm for the cover element, along both of the lateral edges of said cover element with respect to a longitudinal center plane of the vehicle. Guide rails are arranged along the lateral edges of the roof opening, which can be closed by means of the cover element, said guide rails being arranged in a manner fixed to the roof and one of the carrier elements being guided displaceably in each thereof when the cover element is actuated. Furthermore, a driving carriage is arranged in each of the guide rails, the driving carriage, for the pivoting of the cover element, interacting with a guide track which is arranged on the respectively assigned carrier element of the cover element. The profile of the guide track defines a pivoting movement of the cover element as the driving carriages are moved in the guide rails, specifically in such a manner that the cover element can be pivoted between a closed position, in which the roof opening is completely closed, a ventilation position, in which a rear edge of the cover element is deployed in relation to a rear, fixed roof section, and a lowered displacement position, in which the cover element can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle under the rear, fixed roof section in order to open up the roof opening. During the pivoting operation, the cover element is secured against movement in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle by means of “control slides”. The control slides are arranged on the carrier elements of the cover element and interact with corresponding recesses on an upper boundary wall of the respective guide rail. When the cover element pivots into the lowered displacement position, the control slides enter a guide channel of the respective guide rail.
The problem with the above-described vehicle roof is that the cover element experiences a sudden offset when pivoting between the closed position and the lowered displacement position. The reason for this is that the carrier elements of the cover element each collide at the vehicle front end of the guide rails with a fixed stop which initiates a switch from the displacement movement into a pivoting movement such that the carrier elements of the cover element are moved upward by the steep rear profile of the carrier element guide tracks which interact with the driving carriages. The control slides, which are guided in the guide rails during the displacement, enter here into corresponding control recesses on the guide rails and thereby secure the cover element from moving in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. During the lowering movement, the cover element drops rapidly downward along the steep rear profile of the carrier element guide tracks, which interact with the driving carriages, the control slides entering freely into the respective guide track of the relevant guide rail until they strike against a lower guide surface of same.
Furthermore, it is known from practice to control a sliding roof cover element with respect to the pivoting movement thereof by an additional control lever which interacts with a corresponding control element in the relevant guide rail. However, this solution is associated with a multiplicity of components and therefore also with high costs.